There are many problems with public transport that could be resolved with a reasonable amount of effort and expense. However, there is one major problem that would take several generations, a great deal of political will and the expenditure of billions of dollars to fix.
I am going to use Action buses in Canberra as an example to prove my point.
Those that could be fixed with a reasonable amount of effort and expense include:
- Suburban buses that are often very late or very early.
- Insufficient room and uncomfortable seats.
- Lack of seat belts (Who is the bloody idiot minister?).
- Insufficient buses.
- The need to regularly stand.
- Screaming babies.
- Smelly people who use too much perfume or deodorant, or have been drinking beer.
- Air conditioning.
- Very noisy buses caused by mechanical defects.
- Buses that smell like a mechanical workshop and make the patrons ill.
- Rude bus drivers.
- Bus drivers who drive illegally and dangerously.
Yes, all of these could be fixed with a reasonable amount of effort and expense.
Now, I have spoken to many people who have given up the use of public transport, as I have, and we all agree that the one major problem that would take several generations, a great deal of political will and the expenditure of billions of dollars to fix is the poor quality of a large percentage of the bus travelling public.
The key concepts here are the lack of respect and consideration for the law, for people and for property.
Of course this is the inevitable consequence of decades where we have seen the slow and so far inexorable dismantling of morals and values in our society that continues today.
So what specifically am I talking about here?
I am talking about:
- Swearing.
- Yelling.
- Aggressive behaviour.
- Rude behaviour.
- Vandalism.
- Loud, inane and often very personal conversations between passengers, often inches from your ear.
- Loud, inane and often very personal conversations on mobile phones often by several people at a time all over the bus, often inches from your ear.
- The infernal ringing of mobile phones all over the bus.
- The playing of loud music on personal players (the audiologist’s dreams have come true) often by several people at a time all over the bus.
- Smelly people who either do not use enough deodorant, or have just finished a cigarette, or have dirty clothes on that have not been washed for some period of time.
I could go on but I think that you get the idea.
I, and the people I have spoken to that I mentioned before, are very tolerant people. We can tolerate the first batch of problems that I mentioned above, and much more, but when it comes to the poor quality people the deal is off.
On the day when the great majority of the poor quality people have gained respect and consideration for the law, for people and for property, I, and the people I have spoken to that I mentioned before, will happily go back to the buses, but not before.
This is why public transport will never catch on.
TenPro
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